


Stay at mine?

by Memessavedme



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Billy Hargrove Has Feelings, Billy Hargrove Is Bad at Feelings, Billy Hargrove Needs a Hug, Character Study, M/M, POV Steve Harrington, Soft Billy Hargrove, Steve Harrington Has PTSD, Steve Harrington Has a Crush on Billy Hargrove, Steve Harrington Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-20
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:54:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24814912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Memessavedme/pseuds/Memessavedme
Summary: What was originally a little ficlet for an edit I made on Tumblr ended up being a short character study and look into a possible dynamic between them.After a fight with some demodogs Steve Harrington doesn't want to be alone so he asks Billy Hargrove to stay at his on their way home.
Relationships: Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington
Comments: 8
Kudos: 134





	Stay at mine?

The darkness of that moment felt endless as if the sun would never rise as if they had somehow ended up in the Upside Down. Trapped in this inescapable night. Except, it would end. Steve would wake up tomorrow to face whatever it threw at him, but right then at about 3 am he had no thoughts of the future. None at all, because he didn't have the time. Didn't have a moment to think about anything other than the aiming of the bat in his hands. The throbbing of his skull as he swung at the creatures running at the group.

More specifically, Billy. The boy who had driven his stupid blue car into Hawkins and then crashed right into Steve's mind. His thoughts, his dreams. Never leaving but now he wasn't some sexually confusing daydream, he was a boy with an axe in a leather jacket. A boy covered in goo and blood, who knew nothing of what was currently happening.

The idiot having driven into the middle of whatever the hell was going on by chance. Turning up out of nowhere like he could sense the fight, the anger in the air as everyone fought for their lives. 

Steve couldn't help himself looking to make sure he was holding his ground, but of course, he was. That boy was trained for this situation like it was fate as if he was meant to drive past the noise and stop. Like some sort of twisted trick, the universe had played on him. 

It was this constant checking, glancing that resulted in Steve hitting the ground with a dog pouncing onto his chest and screaming in his face. But then it was gone and in its place was a hand, the same hand that had shoved him to the ground the last time he took it. Except, this time it pulled him to his feet and handed him his bat. 

Just as Billy swung to take another one out there was a roar from the trees, a sound that rattled Steve's bone down to his core as the noise ran through him. Everyone stopped, so did the dogs and within seconds they were gone. Running off towards the sound, no one wasted any time jumping into whatever vehicle was the closest and flooring it away from whatever field they had ended up in.

Billy pulling an exhausted Steve into the Camaro and hitting the gas, leaving dust in their path. They didn't stop. No one did, except Billy wasn't driving towards town. He was driving away from it. It must have been 10 minutes when Steve told him to pull over.

He did. Steve pushed the passenger door open and began puking his guts out on the road, to the point nothing was coming out. Just the fear and complete and utter relief of it ending. The cold air making his stomach settle just a little. Calm his nerves.

Billy climbed out, hair frizzed. "How you feeling?". 

Steve stood up and slouched against the open door to try and stay upright. "Like shit". He replied, trying to stop the nauseating feeling from causing more retching noises. "Can you stay at mine tonight?".

Before he could even process what he had just asked Billy stepped closer with a look of complete confusion. "You're serious?". 

Steve looked at the boy in front of him, so vulnerable to the night and the horrors hiding within it. "Yeah", he replied standing up a little more. "I don't feel like being home alone after that". 

The silence of their surroundings became so noticeable it put him on edge as he waited for the answer to his question. Except, Billy didn't give one. No remark over how much of a bitch he was, nothing. Not even a yes or no.

Instead, he walked past Steve and to the trunk of the car, opened it and disappeared for a moment. When he came back he had a blanket, an old blanket with holes and patches from attempted fixes. Little squares of various material and prints covering the damage caused by years of use.

Without saying a word he shut the trunk and came up to Steve. Stopped and flung the thing over his shoulders. "You're shivering". Was all he said. 

"Oh, thanks". Steve gripped the edges and held it around himself as he took in the smell. Billy's scent, the scent of cigarette smoke and cheap beer, overpriced aftershave and hairspray. He used this blanket often and had for a while by the looks of it.

They both climbed back in and sat there waiting for something. Anything to happen, but nothing did so Billy turned and began driving to the Harrington Residence without saying he was. Without questioning what had just happened just half an hour before.

Not even a confused look or word of it. He was acting like it hadn't happened, as if he couldn't process it and Steve couldn't blame him because he had run off when he first saw that stuff. Billy, on the other hand, grabbed whatever was close and began swinging. A much better reaction but also a slightly concerning one. 

He knew he was one for a fight but not one like that. A fight where fists are switched with teeth and able-bodied boys with fast-moving interdimensional monsters. A fight someone shouldn't be able to just walk into, no questions asked.

For a moment he thought it was because Max was there but then he realised Billy didn't grab Max when everyone ran. No, he grabbed him and let Jonathan take the kids. Even though he was probably looking for his sister. 

Before Steve had even finished his thought they were pulling up outside of his house. None of the lights on and the Camaro being the only car in the driveway other than Steve's beamer. Billy must have noted that because without saying a word he got out of the car and walked up the front door. 

Steve, still wrapped in the blanket followed. He unlocked the door and let Billy inside. Still, Billy said nothing. 

It wasn't until Steve began climbing the stairs that he noticed Billy heavy boots stop following him. He turned and saw the look on his face as he stared straight ahead. "What the fuck was that?". He finally asked and Steve sunk to sit on the fifth or sixth step. 

"About a year ago Byers brother went missing. Like gone. No sign of him. Then this little girl turns up and all this shit starts happening". Steve began to explain and he saw the shock in Billy's eyes as he looked up at him, before he joined him on the stairs. Steve couldn't care less about the mess, he would clean it up in the morning. 

"Turns out the lab has opened this gate to another world and this monster gets through. Starts stealing people just like Will and then we managed to get rid of it but it came back". Steve could have told him about everything. Every little detail but he wanted to spare him those details. The deaths and the powers for the sake of his mental state. 

Never had Steve seen Billy Hargrove like this. In shock. Sitting there taking in every word without even the implication of a joke. Nothing just big, scared eyes looking up at him.

"That does explain a lot". He replied.

They sat, well Steve let Billy sit and take it all in for a few minutes before he took him upstairs to have a shower. Except, it felt weird. He had seen the guy naked a bunch of times at school but in his own house, it felt like an invasion of privacy to be there when he stepped into the hot water. 

Billy, however, didn't seem to mind Steve sitting on the countertop as he washed the gunk and the blood off his skin and hair. He actually asked if he would sit there. The entire situation was beginning to baffle Steve as if the Billy he knew wasn't actually real. As if the bad boy attitude was a mask. 

One thing Steve did note, on top of how he was behaving was the bruises on his sides. Not fresh ones from the fight faded old ones from maybe a few nights ago. Except, Billy was watching Max all week. He had no spare time to get into fights at school or wherever he hung around.

That thought left his mind when he stepped out and grabbed a towel from the side. Steve prayed he hadn't noticed his cheeks flush red when he glanced down at him. Saw what he had and realised he actually liked it. Confirming the weird sexuality crisis Steve was having.

When it was his turn Billy left the room, wandered off into Steve's bedroom to find some clean clothes. Thank god he did because the last thing he needed was Billy Hargrove seeing that he had a semi from watching him shower. 

It only took him a few minutes because part of him was still scared of Billy being alone in his bedroom. Probably looking through his things for jokes to make or embarrassing stories to tell at school. But, when Steve stepped out of the bathroom he saw him sitting hunched over in one of his old oversized summer camp shirts. He looked so small, fragile. As if he would shatter if Steve touched him.

So he didn't. For a moment he stood watching him, waiting for him to realise he was there but he didn't and that was when Steve realised he was crying. Which shattered his conception of Billy completely.

Billy Hargrove doesn't cry. He picks fights, drinks cheap beer and drives too fast. At no point did Steve think he would find him crying on the corner of his bed, the thought of that felt unrealistic but there they were and there he was wiping his face as he sat with his back to Steve.

"Hey", Steve finally said and he jumped slightly. "You okay?"

He didn't say anything. Didn't move at all until Steve took a step towards him and he stood up like it was some weird ingrained reflex to create distance. Steve didn't know what to do, he had a scared but unpredictable and much stronger boy standing in his room. Standing there like he needed to get out of this situation but couldn't.

"Billy?", Steve cautiously stepped closer and he saw it, the internal conflict he was going through and it broke Steve's heart because that was when he realised Billy wasn't just some asshole with anger issues, he was hurt and no one knew it. "I know you don't particularly like me but you can trust me. You saved my life back there".

"I don't not like you". He said and looked up. "I just...I can't...I feel so scared but I'm not". Steve knew what he meant. The surreal feeling of your body wanting to run but there being nothing to run from. Your hairs standing on edge in a busy room full of people you know.

"Its shock. You're in shock". He stepped closer again and Billy let him. "You stepped into hell and walked back out. Nothing wrong with being a little shaken". Another step.

"Look, you don't get it". Billy snapped at him and Steve froze. "Look at this place! You went to fucking summer camp", he gestured to the shirt. "I didn't get that shit. I got a boot and a fist to my...". 

He cut himself off and Steve saw the panic in his eyes as he looked at him. The complete and utter expression of someone who just said something they didn't want to, but he had and then it clicked. The flinch, the bruises, the readiness to run into hell and help people he didn't know in a situation he didn't understand and the standoff attitude and constant attempts to control people.

"Who?". Was all Steve asked and Billy was ready to run but again there was that inner conflict. Part of him wanted to scream all of this out but he was trying so hard to stop himself. "Who's boot gave you those bruises?".

"You better watch what you're asking, Harrington". Billy was the one to step closer this time, the mask falling over his tear-stained cheeks. "Who do you think you are? Hm?".

"I understand being scared", Steve said. "I get wanting to hide away and act like everything is okay. Like you don't wake up in a cold sweat most nights from nightmares you can't even remember or getting the feeling to run from something that isn't there. I understand it too much to let you pretend you don't as well". 

"You don't know shit about me!". He could see he wanted to swing. Wanted to have a go but he didn't. "You don't know shit, Harrington!".

"Well, for some fucked up reason that I don't understand I care about you", that threw Billy off for a moment. "And I know you care about me too because you agreed to come here". Steve pointed at the blanket, still held tightly in Billy grip like it was his lifeline.

"And what if I do?", his face softened and so did his hold on the clearly important item. "What if I told you that I saw you in that fight and that's why I got involved?".

Steve didn't reply because the look on Billy's face twisted his gut in a way he hadn't felt since that night in Tina's bathroom. The kind that throws you off to the point you can't even look at the person who caused it. 

"What if I did this?", Billy asked with a tone that didn't fit the question. What should have been a smooth, flirty line was a bittersweet risk. A question that could go either way but Billy liked risks so as he reached out and slipped a wet piece of hair back behind Steve's ear he melted. "Or this?"

That was when it happened. Billy leant forward, dropping the blanket and pressed his lips to Steve's in such a way it broke Steve's heart but made him want it forever. The taste of tears filling his mouth as Billy slipped his fingers between Steve's and placed his hand on the back of his neck. He pulled back when Steve didn't return it, his face even more frightened than before and that just made Steve want to cry because there he was, Billy Hargrove in the palm of his hands and he was letting him see him like this.

Steve smiled before leaning back in to reassure Billy. Make sure he knew that he wanted this too. This time he let Steve take control, let him hold his waste and feel his damp hair. Let him in and that was all Steve needed to pull Billy against him. Feel his warmth as the kiss continued. 

Eventually, Steve pulled away to see his face. To see what he was thinking and when he saw the genuine happiness rush through his smile he could have cried just from the joy of seeing it. 

"Do you want to sleep in my bed?" Steve asked still holding his hand. Billy nodded and followed him to the perfectly made bed just a few feet from where they were standing.

"Can you leave the light on?". He asked as Steve reached for the lamp. The two of them not touching, just close.

"Yeah, sure". Steve replied and left it. 

As he began to drift off he felt Billy's fingers intertwine with his, their backs to each other but still touching. "You tell anyone about all of this and I'll kill you". Billy said still quite awake.

There he was, but Steve didn't mind because it felt none threatening compared to the past, and although Steve had no idea what that kiss actually meant and how he had ended up with Billy in his bed he had the best nights sleep since he could remember.

Billy stayed the next night and the next, sneaking out in the early hours of the morning to make sure he got home before his father woke up. Until Steve's parents finally returned home for their monthly visit before taking off again. By then Steve knew what that kiss meant, along with all the others that had come after it.


End file.
